Katherine T. Lansing to Robert Lansing

A letter from Miss Katherine Ten Eyck Lansing to her brother The Secretary of State.Miss Katherine with her sister Miss Emma Sterling Lansing have been engaged in canteen work with the American Red Cross in France since September, 1917
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France,Thursday, [June 6th, 1918.]
Long before you receive this you will have received the cablegram we hope reached you through the Ambassador and have been relieved of your anxiety about us. We have been living through thrilling days and I am still tired enough to be afraid that I won't write a very clear letter. This is the first chance either of us has had to write for we have been tremendously busy.
Of course, the first news we had of the big German attack came a week ago, Monday. We knew that it was all along the line near us but felt no anxiety about our own situation although two of the ladies had decided to go to Paris that day for the day but decided not to as they were afraid there might be some difficulty about getting back to ________(a place about twelve miles from the front) on account of the movement of troops. The troops passed all day and we knew they were being taken to the different points of attack.
Tuesday morning there was some excitement in the hall while I was still in bed. I got up to see and found Miss E_____(head of the canteen) had received a letter from an English friend, couched in very ambiguous terms but by reading between the lines we made out that he thought we should all go, at once, to Paris while "the going was still good" as he put it. After consultation with the military authorities we decided there was no immediate danger. Tuesday the ambulances kept going by with the wounded and Tuesday night Miss E_____ took one person and went to see if there was anything to be done at the Evacuation Hospital. We did not all go, as she was not willing. About ten she came back for five more people. Emma could not go, as she was on night duty in the Canteen, but I went with four others and I never spent such a strange night. As soon as I reached the hospital I was asked if I would go into one of the barracks where the more lightly wounded were and interpret between the French doctors and English.
The Hospital is a huge place with wooden shacks for the different wards and spreads over a great deal of ground. I was taken into one of these barracks crowded with people, becoming more crowded as the night went on. There were both English and French and I was asked to take the names of all the English, their regiments, enlistments and so on, and find out where they were wounded. I was told what to do, then left alone, and there I was all night, the room crowded with French, Algerians, Blacks and English.
As the night wore on the poor things laid down as they could on the floors, under the tables and on the tables, lovely bloody bandages all around. I had made out all the English papers by about half past two. In the midst of it about one, we had an air raid and I can tell you the bombs never sounded so loud as they did out there, all alone with all those wounded men. In the midst of it some one opened the door and called "a l'abri" and those who were able left the shack and went to the abri. I went out to see how it was and found many of them standing outside as the abri was full. About four it began to be light and I wondered whether the others had gone home but as I was alone with all these men I did not like to leave. A little later some of the officials came in and then began the task of fitting the papers to the men and getting them off in the train. They wanted me to stay to read the names as they were so difficult to pronounce. I made another list of men who had to go off on stretchers, told the doctors, in French, where they were wounded and so on, and did not get back to the house until twelve at noon. It was rather a long stretch from ten the night before especially as I had nothing to drink or eat.
In the afternoon I went to the canteen. Some of the people in ___________ were beginning to leave and the inhabitants were all gathered in knots around the street. The military movement through the town was something amazing. Of course excitement ran high. We spent all our days and nights until Saturday night at the hospital, with only two people left at the canteen.
I can't tell you anything about it only with the most vivid imagination. I do not think anyone can dream of such suffering, such patience, such heroism, or such terrible human wreckage, and until one has seen it they cannot know what war means. We found more than we could do even with our lack of knowledge, giving the men water, washing their bloody faces, interpreting between the English and the French doctors, and wishing we could go a hundred times as fast. One French boy I brought water to and the tears rolled down his face, he had waited so long for it and for a French boy to cry like that means more than other nationalities.
I have found that you can bear seeing the most horrible wounds if you are doing something. I was so afraid I would not have the courage, but when I was doing something I did not think of that side of it. I went into the operating room or, rather, the room where the wounds were cleansed and dressed and gave water to the men on the tables, but the hardest thing was to give milk or water to the men whose faces were completely smashed to pieces. No words could describe such sublime endurance or of suffering.
Friday night we had a heavy air raid. Miss E______, Miss L______ and I were in bed and were caught in the house before we could go to the cave and I must say we were all pretty scared, not only for ourselves but for those at the canteen and the hospital. When a break came we made a dash for the cave next door, but the next day we had mattresses taken to one of the champagne caves and all seventeen of us slept there at least tried to sleep.
The hospitals were evacuated Saturday so after Saturday there was nothing more for us to do there and we went back to canteen work. Saturday night came a telegram from the Ambassador asking the General to make possible Emma 's and my return to Paris. Of course, we could not leave like cowards, before the rest of the unit left, so we sent the telegram to him saying that unless he had bad news for us from home we preferred not to leave__________telling him to cable you that we were well and well taken care of. We had an automobile and a camion, belonging to the canteen and two American Red Cross officers there with big trucks, so we could start at once in something when it was necessary. Of course, one got a little nervous, once in a while, but there was no reason.
Sunday afternoon the first obus (shell) fell in the town and that night it was decided that ten of us should leave seven staying, Emma and I among them, but Monday morning Miss E_______ said only the four who could run cars were to stay. Some went to _________ some to _________ and seven of us came here.We had musettes packed for several days ready to leave expecting two of them were the only things each of us could take, but as we came in a big Red Cross truck we each brought a suit case besides. However most of our things are in two trunks in _____________. This is a very quaint picturesque town with many old buildings. We went to ten places to find a place to stay and Emma and I are with the widow of a doctor a quaint house with a lovely garden where I am writing now the house much run down. We have a very small room for which the lady allows us to pay one franc a day. She wished nothing to be paid as we are working for the French. We take our meals at the hotel very near. All seven of us are scattered around. A French canteen is to be opened here and we expect to help in opening it at least two or three of us. The rest are in the hospitals and Emma and I helped all yesterday in a French ward, but we are waiting to see in what way and where we will be wanted.
Trains are uncertain but this letter may reach you as I hope it will. Don't worry about us, we shall not run into danger and if it comes to us you don't want us to run away from it, but take it as bravely as other people do. We shall send you word whenever we can.
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